HOLDEN, Maine — A motorcyclist involved in a Friday afternoon crash on Route 1A has died, Holden police Officer Ed Benjamin said Tuesday.
Shawn Abbott, 44, of Brewer was traveling on his motorcycle toward Ellsworth on Route 1A when James Swett, 65, of Orrington turned left from Upper Dedham Road onto Route 1A in his Honda SUV and pulled into Abbott’s path, Benjamin said.
“He didn’t see the motorcycle,” Benjamin said of Swett shortly after the crash that occurred at about 2:30 p.m Friday
“They T-boned,” Benjamin said of the crash.
James Swett is the owner of Swett’s Tire and Auto on Hogan Road in Bangor.
Abbott was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor with serious injuries after the collision and died Monday night, Benjamin said. He was not wearing a helmet, the officer said.
His motorcycle was left with a crushed front tire and headlight and remained in the roadway while a team of crash reconstructionists measured the scene. The reconstruction was done because of the seriousness of Abbott’s injuries, Benjamin said.
The crash occurred near G&M Market in Holden. Traffic was closed in both directions for a short time, slowing traffic for hours.
“He was a dear friend who loved to ride,” Deidre Fowler of Bangor, who now lives in Woodstock, New Brunswick, said by text Tuesday. It is a “pretty crappy crappy situation,” she said.
Swett was taken to the hospital for a blood alcohol test, a standard procedure in serious crashes, the officer said.
“It’s still under investigation,” Benjamin said.
Once the investigation is complete, the file will be sent to the Penobscot County district attorney’s office for review to see whether any charges will be filed, he said.